At the present time many people find themselves in distressed circumstances such as by becoming lost or accidents of either land vehicles or aircraft. In many instances, the site of the misfortune will be in areas that are heavily wooded or include hills, valleys and even mountains. The desirability of providing a signal which identifies the location of the distressed person has long been recognized and much effort has been directed to the provision of apparatus for identifying this location.
Normally all of the devices of this nature are characterized as including a balloon which initially is packed in a compact condition in a case and which is inflated by a lighter than air gas which is contained in a cartridge or similar container in the case. A tether extends from the balloon and is taken up in coil form within the casing. Upon actuation of a valve or similar device, the balloon is inflated by the gas and rises to a height determined by the length of the tether. It is also known to include a radio transmitter in the case.
The known devices of the character aforesaid have one serious shortcoming. If the area in which the person requiring help is hilly and/or is covered by tall trees, two possibly unsatisfactory conditions are present. In the first instance, the balloon in ascending may become caught in the branches of trees and fail to reach a height at which it can be seen from an appreciable distance. The hilly terrain also may prevent the balloon from being viewed from a substantial distance. Then again, with the radio transmitter being located closely adjacent to the ground surface, its transmitting range is limited.
Known products of this type also include certain undesirable features which may be considered as minor as compared to those above noted, but which nevertheless, are of practical importance. Thus, the known methods of packing the balloon in a collapsed condition in the casing are not completely satisfactoy. Also, the manner of securing the container in sealed condition and providing for its being opened to initiate the flow of gas to the balloon is at times, unreliable. It is further noted that many of the apparatuses of this type do not include survival kits which contain materials necessary to preserve the health and life of a person for any appreciable period.